3 gorgeously, guilt-free desserts by Nina Parker

Satisfy cravings and keep watch of your waistline with these top three delicious desserts from Project Bikini Chef, Nina Parker

Here at Get The Gloss we’re big believers in eating real, healthy food that’s tasty and full of flavour. Indeed, we’ve recognised that rather than cut out all the indulgent dishes we love to feast on, we’d rather give them a healthy heave-ho so that we can satisfy our appetites, while simultaneously nourishing our bodies.

In particular, when you’re trying to stay on the healthy straight and narrow there’s nothing more likely to sabotage your weight-loss goals than a delicious sweet treat (or two). So, with that in mind we reached out to London based chef and culinary mastermind behind our Project Bikini recipes, Nina Parker, who’s given us her top three desserts to help control both your cravings and your waistline. Bon appétit.

1. Greek yoghurt pot with cinnamon apple compote

“I make fruit compotes all the time as they’re brilliant for making meals a little more interesting and colourful. When you're trying to be good these yoghurt pots are delicious and Greek yoghurt is filled with probiotics which help your digestive system. It's also filled with b12 which is essential for energy and healthy brain function.”

Ingredients (Serves 2)

120ml yoghurt

20g cashew nuts

For the apple compote:

1 apple, thinly sliced and cored

1 tsp honey

1/2 juice of a lemon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp cold water

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Add all the ingredients for the compote into a saucepan and set to a medium to high heat. Once the apple slices begin to heat up use a spatula to mix everything around and cook for about five to ten minutes until the apples have softened. Prepare two glasses and divide the yoghurt between them and spoon over the apple compote topped with cashew nuts.

2. Chestnut crepes

“This is a recipe from my cookbook NINA St Tropez, (£20, buy online), and it makes a wonderful quick dessert or can also be eaten as a deliciously indulgent breakfast. They are gluten-free and unlike many other nuts, chestnuts are relatively low in calories but are rich in minerals, vitamins (particularly in vitamin C) and phytonutrients, that are great for keeping the body happy and healthy.”

Ingredients (Makes 9-10)

150g chestnut flour

60g unrefined caster sugar

1 free-range medium egg, lightly beaten

300ml unsweetened almond milk

20g coconut oil or unsalted butter

Method

Mix the chestnut flour, sugar and egg together in a bowl. Continue stirring and drizzle in the milk until it’s all incorporated, with no lumps. Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat, add a little coconut oil/butter and move it around to coat the bottom of the pan. Next add a small ladle of batter to the pan, quickly swirling it around to create a nice thin crêpe. The crêpes cook faster than normal pancakes (just over one minute to brown on each side). Before turning it, lift up one side carefully using a fish slice to check that the underneath is golden. They are best eaten immediately, but any leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten the next day. Serve with fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and a dollop of Greek yoghurt!

3. Raw Cacao Mousse

“This is a ridiculously quick chocolate mousse that you can prepare for a dinner party. You can put it to chill in the fridge while you finish making the main and then serve straight after for pud. I love to use raw cacao when I can in sweet treats because it’s a wonderful superfood. It’s filled with lots of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, calcium and many antioxidants. If that wasn’t enough, this dessert is also dairy/gluten-free and vegan.”

Ingredients (Serves 4)

70g raw cacao, roughly chopped

50g sunflower spread

2 tsp crunchy almond nut butter

80g unrefined caster sugar

320ml coconut cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

20g toasted almond flakes

Method

Put four glasses to chill in the fridge while you make the mousse. Place the cacao, sunflower spread, almond butter and sugar to melt together in heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Then pour coconut cream and vanilla extract into a separate bowl and use an electric whisk to form fluffy peaks. This will take about five minutes, but remember whipped coconut cream is far more delicate than normal whipping cream and doesn’t gather quite as much air. Once the ingredients in the saucepan are melted together remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then use a spatula to very carefully fold in the coconut cream. Do a third at a time and do not over mix. Finally spoon the mixture into the chilled glasses and put in the fridge to chill for a further 20-30 minutes. Serve with almond flakes for garnish.

For more tantalisingly tasty recipes from Nina head to her website, blog or Instagram. Or to begin your journey to getting a hot, happy and healthy body download our Project Bikini guide here for 12 weeks of expert led fitness tips, food and fun.

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